‘Not A Matter of If, But When’

Nice article in the Flathead Beacon (7/19/2018) on the release of our new brochure addressing the oil train threat to the Flathead watershed, “Not A Matter of If, But When.” The article points out that the main focus of BNSF is a response to a spill rather than a focus on a publicly vetted plan to prevent any spill in the first place.

The article points out that the main focus of BNSF is a response to a spill rather than a focus on a publicly vetted plan to prevent any spill in the first place. There are currently only nine snow sheds to protect around 40 avalanche chutes in the steep Middle Fork canyon and the railroad has consistently refused to consider building more protective sheds due to cost. With 10-18 100-car oil trains traversing the treacherous John F. Stevens Canyon every week, the challenge will be keeping the oil on the tracks. Once it enters the Middle Fork, there is really no feasible way to stop it from moving downstream, especially in Winter, or during high flows.

“With the oil boom in North Dakota and eastern Montana, however, local and national stakeholders say the potential of train car derailments has gained greater urgency in the region, and are publicly raising concerns about the consequences of a potential “calamity” that could have a devastating impact on a prized watershed.”

Read more:

‘Not A Matter of If, But When,’ Tristan Scott, Flathead Beacon